ESPN’s Andscape will reportedly be searching for a new leader.
Per a report from Front Office Sports, current Andscape editor-in-chief and vice president Raina Kelley is leaving the company. Her departure was reportedly announced on Friday, and Kelley is heading for a role with another company.
Kelley was promoted to Andscape editor-in-chief back in May of 2021 when the site was still known as The Undefeated. Initially, Kelley joined The Undefeated in November 2015 as the site’s managing editor. She succeeded Kevin Merida, who joined ESPN and The Undefeated in October 2015, as editor-in-chief. Merida was the site’s second editor-in-chief after Jason Whitlock, who was removed from the site in June 2015. The site launched in May 2016 and Merida left eventually ESPN in May 2021 to take over as the executive editor of the Los Angeles Times.
The rebrand from The Undefeated to Andscape came in February 2022. In ESPN’s release announcing the rebrand, Kelley called Andscape “a place for folks to lean into all facets of their identity–all of their ‘ANDs’–and experience an extensive and inclusive view of the Black landscape.” ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro called the rebrand “an evolution in response to the appetite of our audience for additional smart, thought-provoking, and authentic multi-platform content about the Black experience.”
Despite Kelley’s departure, this reportedly won’t be the end for Andscape. Front Office Sports reports that the brand ” is expected to survive as a multimedia platform.”
A successor to Kelley has yet to be announced.
